U.N. Budget Funds
Andrew Michels’ Nov. 26 letter in response to your quite justified call on the U.S. to pay its dues to the U.N. is wrong on several counts.
His statement that the U.S. pays 50% of the U.N. budget is incorrect. The U.S. is assessed 25% of that budget. In fact, the U.S. in 1995 actually paid 12% of the money contributed to the regular budget and 14% of that for peacekeeping. The U.S. remains the largest single contributor to the U.N. system; we acknowledge and are grateful for that.
Michels, having worked at he U.N., accuses us of having an “elite international civil service.” Obviously, we attempt to recruit the most qualified people we can. In many cases, they do earn more than they would in their home countries. However, in many others they could earn more in their home countries or elsewhere, especially if they opted for the private sector, than they do as civil servants at the U.N.
JOE SILLS, Director
United Nations Information Centre
Washington
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